A/HRC/19/52
private sector. The MDGs had achieved global consensus and it was important not to
duplicate work done in other forums. Suggestions were made namely that the Working
Group could feed its recommendations into the MDG process and that it would be
worthwhile to consider best practices in public/private partnerships on right to
development. Delegations agreed with the European Union that the primary responsibility
to create national and international enabling environment lies with the States. However, it
was also important to see how national actions could impact those outside their jurisdiction.
Delegations asked how to ensure that bilateral agreements did not impose conditionalities.
On the reporting template, many delegations felt that this was a premature step and it was
not clear who had to report, to whom and why. A reporting mechanism might be developed
later and the discussion had to be expanded beyond the United Nations system. Some
delegations stressed the importance of developing countries having access to resources and
participation in decision-making. One delegation referred to the need for an international
democratic and equitable order and the need to focus on conditions to make this possible.
Another delegation suggested that the right to development was a balancing right, balancing
the national and the international, individuals and groups and peoples. A view was also
expressed that the right to development is unique, as an intersection between development
and promotion of all human rights, which renders them mutually reinforcing. For example,
European Union Neighbourhood Policy was revised due to findings of failure of recipients
regarding how human rights were respected. An observer pointed out the need to recognize
peoples’ right to self-determination, balanced with the rights of States. In this context,
reference was made to the “Western Spring” and occupations of Wall Street. The inclusion
of the political dimension of the right to development was crucial, not only by States but
nations and peoples as distinct from civil society. Sri Lanka indicated that the right to selfdetermination in the Declaration on the Right to Development was defined in the historical
context of decolonization and includes, subject to relevant provisions of both International
Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of the right of the people to sovereignty over
their natural wealth and resources.
2.
Right–to-development criteria and operational sub-criteria
23.
Norway considered that the task force had found a good balance between national
responsibility and international cooperation in the formulation of the criteria and subcriteria. The realization of the right to development would be difficult without both national
and international commitments to create an enabling environment. They found that some
criteria were too narrowly defined in terms of indicators and some too widely defined.
More work could be done in further exploring possible sources of data for monitoring
progress where this is currently lacking. The role of women’s rights and gender equality in
the development process was highlighted. On this point, there is room for improvement in
the current set of outcomes and indicators, to make them more gender-sensitive. We should
also consider integrating more development policy discourse in terms of Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development-Development Assistance Committee (OECDDAC) terminology, which would serve to bring the culture of human rights and
development closer together. It was suggested that concepts such as “desired impact” and
“desired outcome” be used, rather than criteria and sub-criteria, making the desired
outcomes or sub-criteria more consistent, so that complex outcomes that consisted of
several reporting elements were split up. This will help properly monitor the right to
development, supported through the elaboration of baselines to monitor progress.
24.
Egypt (on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement) made a presentation of the views
of the Movement on the possible revision and refinement of the criteria and operational
sub-criteria in comparison to the specific articles of the Declaration to ensure that they
covered all its aspects and to identify gaps that may require the elaboration of further
criteria and sub-criteria, including through the adequate reflection of the international
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